Prince Harry Comforts a Boy Grieving the Loss of a Parent

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent outings have been full of adorable meet-and-greets, sweet speeches, and shared laughs, and on Friday, their visit to Bristol’s Empire Fighting Chance boxing charity brought about an especially sentimental moment. After learning that one of the young boxers named Iestyn Jones was mourning the loss of his father, Harry asked everyone to leave the room so he could privately speak to the young boy and offer his condolences.

According to Iestyn, he and the royal prince spoke for 10 minutes about loss and heartache. Harry — who lost his mother, Princess Diana, in a car accident when he was 12 — told Iestyn, “The same thing happened to me.” The young boxer went on to describe how meaningful the conversation was. “It just got a bit emotional because he mentioned something. He knew some stuff about me and the same thing happened to me,” Iestyn told reporters. “When we had a group picture at the end he made sure I was standing next to him. They were lovely people. I didn’t expect them to be like that. They were amazing people.” The two also share the same love of boxing as it helped them through their grieving processes.

Harry often comforts those who have experienced the death of a loved one during his royal engagements. In October, he offered words of encouragement to a little boy who lost his mother, telling him, “Life will always be all right.” During the Invictus Games that same month, he consoled a military widow named Gwen Cherne after learning of her husband’s suicide. “He understood what I meant. When you understand loss, I think it’s obvious,” Gwen said in an interview with People.

While being a royal may seem glamorous, the high-power position also comes with the important responsibility of connecting with the public — which Harry has expertly done time and time again. See more pictures of his visit to Bristol’s Empire Fighting Chance ahead!